Chapter 574: Abundant Resources

A long while passed.

Yan Buji arrived before the Reincarnation Tree Sea, gazed at the vast primeval forest ahead, and carefully sensed the surroundings.

"There's nothing impressive here," he thought.

Yan Buji felt a bit strange; he had heard the Reincarnation Tree Sea was a dangerous place, yet he seemed not to detect any strong aura.

Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that some nether beasts might conceal their aura, evading divine perception.

Yan Buji stepped into the Reincarnation Tree Sea, looked at the towering ancient trees nearby, and brushed his hand along a trunk.

"Has all the nether qi here been gathered to the center by the forest? It seems there's a natural grand formation here," Yan Buji said, watching the nether qi swirling around the ancient trees.

Although these ancient trees looked odd, they were actually similar to some large primeval forests in the Five Domains.

Where spiritual qi converges, vegetation must thrive, or rare treasures are born; the same holds for nether qi.

Nevertheless, Yan Buji did not like this environment; although his current cultivation level allowed him to adapt to nether qi, it's like standing in a drizzle versus a downpour—the pressure feels entirely different.

The nether qi inside the Reincarnation Tree Sea was denser than outside, and he hadn't yet reached its most concentrated region.

Logically, such thick nether qi should spawn some formidable nether beasts, yet Yan Buji found none along his path.

It felt off.

"Although the martial konghou gave some information, this place can't be completely devoid of nether beasts. What is that creature hiding?"

Yan Buji furrowed his brows, chose not to head toward the place where the Huang Tian Soul was hidden, and instead advanced along the flow of nether qi.

"Jiji ji!!"

Fate‑Reversing Candle Night sprang from his sleeve cuff, excitedly perching on Yan Buji's shoulder.

"Is there any potent toxin?"

Yan Buji was curious; since it was a toxin, even a strong one should be solvable with Fate‑Reversing Candle Night's help.

Thinking that, Yan Buji pressed on and soon spotted a pool in the forest emitting a violet glow.

The water boiled and steamed, bubbling up with a foul odor.

Yan Buji immediately swallowed a Detox Pill; Fate‑Reversing Candle Night leapt from his shoulder and plunged into the pool with a splash!

"Ji!"

After a while, Fate‑Reversing Candle Night dragged a long‑dead gecko out of the pool. Yan Buji looked at it oddly, not knowing the species, but the creature seemed to like it.

As Fate‑Reversing Candle Night's body enlarged and swallowed it whole, its once‑white feathers turned dark and deep.

"I almost forgot you can thrive even in the Nether Realm," he said.

Yan Buji had learned about this ancient exotic Fate‑Reversing Candle Night from the Gu tribe's ancient Yao.

It was said that this Fate‑Reversing Candle Night naturally suppresses toxins and possesses a yin‑yang reversal ability. Yan Buji wasn't clear on the exact effect of yin‑yang reversal, but it seemed the Nether Realm's environment couldn't affect it.

After devouring the gecko, Fate‑Reversing Candle Night shrank again and hopped back onto Yan Buji's shoulder.

"Jiji!"

"Did you enjoy the meal?"

"Ji!"

Fate‑Reversing Candle Night, in a very humanlike way, used its wing to pat its round belly, which Yan Buji watched with puzzlement.

The more toxins it eats, the more it seems to gain spiritual intelligence.

Yan Buji crossed the pool and kept moving; after several hours through a toxic haze, he arrived before a cave.

"Is this the central region of the Reincarnation Tree Sea?"

Yan Buji sensed the nearby nether qi to be somewhat heavy for him; it clashed with his own strength, naturally bringing great pressure.

The central area still showed no sign of nether beasts, but many unseen Spiritual Materials grew nearby, and Yan Buji, overjoyed, hurried to gather them.

All the while walking and collecting, Yan Buji found that the resources here seemed untouched by anyone; millennia‑old spirit herbs and spirit medicines were everywhere, and some rare Spiritual Materials were even harder to find elsewhere!

"Too many."

Yan Buji glanced around, feeling as if he had entered a Treasure Vault and could pick at will, but in an instant realized his five prepared storage bags were already full.

Consequently, Yan Buji had to discard some lower‑grade Spiritual Materials and broaden his search.

He didn't know what was really going on here, but since there was no danger, why not explore further?

As for the Huang Tian Soul?

Compared with the abundant resources here, its cost‑performance is too low.

Yan Buji switched strategies outright, still unaware that the Reincarnation Tree Sea is the domain of a Nether‑God Emperor comparable to the Great Vehicle Stage, and that the emperor's recent departure gave him this chance to explore.

But the deeper he went, the fewer Spiritual Materials he found, and instead Celestial Materials began to appear!

"Six‑turn Exploration Nether Fruit, Nether Flower, Treasure Ghost Branch... do they all have the Seven‑turn Celestial Materials?"

Throughout his trek, Yan Buji found that although the Celestial Materials weren't abundant, their quality was exceptionally high.

He took them without hesitation; after all, compared to the Huang Tian Soul, which was a hot‑potato, even if it could revive the dead, a single resurrection wouldn't be much help to Yan Buji in a truly fatal situation.

"And who knows whether the martial konghou's words are true?"

Yan Buji was naturally skeptical about whether the Huang Tian Soul truly possessed resurrection power; after years of cultivation, hearing of such a remarkable treasure for the first time, even if genuine, might entail some grave cost.

From his own experience and reasoning, Yan Buji thought the Huang Tian Soul was indeed a hot‑potato; obtaining it would require effort, and if resurrection demanded a sacrifice of cultivation or lifespan, he couldn't accept it.

Rather than gamble on acquiring the Huang Tian Soul, hoping it would work in a fatal crisis or that it might have a price, he preferred the stability of readily available Spiritual and Celestial Materials before him.

"But why does this Reincarnation Tree Sea seem so safe? Is there something odd about it?"

Yan Buji found it odd; logically, such Spiritual and Celestial Materials wouldn't be left out in the open for anyone to take. Nether Realm cultivators aren't fools, and the completely undeveloped state of the Reincarnation Tree Sea suggests no Nether Realm cultivators have been here.

So what hidden danger lies here?

Yan Buji pressed deeper, gathering Celestial Materials while checking for danger nearby.

After a long while, Yan Buji had nearly stripped the area of Celestial Materials and still hadn't seen a single nether beast block his way.

This made Yan Buji even more puzzled.

What the hell is this place?